


Santa U Are the One

by harinezumiko



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Canon-Typical Violence, Christmas, M/M, Santa Roleplay, but not for long don't worry, wishshipping - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:07:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28558080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harinezumiko/pseuds/harinezumiko
Summary: When Jounouchi stumbles on a department store heist, he and Yugi must save Christmas for the young ones.
Relationships: Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Mutou Yuugi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Santa U Are the One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheArtisticIntrovert](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheArtisticIntrovert/gifts).



> For theartisticintrovert as part of the YGO Shipfest Server's Secret Christmas Event. Hope you like it! So sorry for the delay!

"It's just not right." Jounouchi kicked up the snow on the pavement as the two shuffled forwards, gloved hands shoved in pockets against the cold. The scarf wrapped from his neck to his nose muffled the sound of his voice, and Yugi had to look up at him to concentrate on what he was saying. "Anzu being in America, Honda visiting his folks..."

"We're still together," said Yugi, a smile pulling cutely at the corners of his eyes.

"Yeah, but... It's Christmas Eve." Jounouchi sent a dirty look after the couple that had just barged past with no regard for others. "With just the two of us, it'll look like we're..."

"What?"

"Y'know. Together." Jounouchi gestured around them at the streets twinkling with lights and frost, the couples walking hand in hand or holding branded shopping bags.

"Would that be so bad?" Yugi edged towards Jounouchi under cover of the crowded street, bumping up against Jounouchi's elbow.

Jounouchi stopped walking, eyebrows squeezed together as he looked down at Yugi. There was a flush of heat, rather than cold, in his cheeks as he turned his head back to walk on. "Not if it's you."

Yugi opened his mouth to respond when a shout came from up ahead. The crowd surged and parted, buffeting around them to reveal a group of burly-looking men running across the road carrying a large sack.

Jounouchi acted on instinct, running after them with arms and legs pumping, and barrelled into the group to knock them all flying. He pinned one man under him, fists flying, but was unable to prevent the others from making off with the sack.

"We've got it, son," said a security guard between heavy breaths. "Let him up."

Reluctantly, Jounouchi obeyed, rubbing his chin with the back of the hand. As the security guard pulled the thief to his feet Jounouchi watched another chasing the escapees through the crowd, sometimes slipping on the fresh snow. He doubted they'd catch up with them. "What'd they take?"

"Presents for kids, would you believe it," said the security guard, gripping firmly onto the thief. "Took the sack right out from under Santa-san's feet."

"Of all the mean, petty things... You should've let me hit him some more."

"Believe me, I was tempted." The security guard began to march the thief away, towards the entrance to a large department store, its windows decorated with sparkling snowflakes. "Come with me, the manager will want to thank you for helping us catch them."

"Are you okay?" Yugi asked Jounouchi as they followed the others inside.

"My blood's pumping, that's all," said Jounouchi, ignoring his sore knuckles. "Who would do that to kids?"

Yugi nodded his head in agreement. "I can't believe there are such uncharitable people in the world."

They followed the security guard to a back office, waiting outside while he called the police to deal with the thief. After a few minutes the manager came to meet them. Her suit was neat, but her hair rumpled, as if she had been running her hands through it repeatedly. She bowed to the two, looking them over.

"Are you the young gentleman who caught the thief?" she said, addressing Jounouchi as the more likely of the two.

"I'm sorry I couldn't recover the goods," said Jounouchi with a sniff.

"Don't worry about that," she said. "Our employees are wrapping more gifts as we speak. Thank you, though."

"Did the children see?" asked Yugi. "I hope they weren't upset?"

"They dashed into the grotto between children. One was pushed over on their way out, but easily placated with sweets, so the children are all fine, thankfully. Santa-san suffered a great shock, though, and fainted. He's on his way to the hospital. I can't spare any more of my staff, and finding a new Santa-san at this time on Christmas Eve is... well, it's a challenge, I can tell you that." The manager looked like she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Good thing you ran into us, then!" Jounouchi puffed up with a smile.

* * *

"Ho, ho, ho!" Jounouchi tried his best to deepen his voice, but the unmistakable timbre of teenager still slipped through. He waggled his cotton-wool eyebrows under the red hat. "Merry Christmas, Yugi!"

Yugi turned around in candy-cane striped socks and puffy green dungaree shorts. "Merry Christmas, Santa-san..."

Jounouchi's jaw dropped, mercifully obscured by the voluminous beard. "Wow, you make a good elf, don't you?"

"I can't quite get the hat on," said Yugi ruefully.

"How about this..." Jounouchi took off his white gloves, rummaging around in the decorations for some lightweight baubles and things, which he hung in Yugi's hair. He laughed as he admired his handiwork - and Yugi's legs. "There, perfect."

"If you say so..." Yugi pouted a bit.

"Now let's get this show on the road!"

They slipped through the dark green curtain to the grotto beyond. Jounouchi sat on the large velvet-covered bench, adjusting the stuffing under his suit and pulling the gloves back on. He was flanked by a heavily-decorated Christmas tree and a sparkling snowman. Yugi stood by the fake fireplace, ready to guide children through, and at Jounouchi's signal let the first one in.

The girl, perhaps five or six years old, shuffled in, chewing her knuckle nervously and holding her mother's hand.

"Thank you for your patience," Yugi said to the tired-looking mother, before bending slightly to speak to the girl. "Welcome to Winter Wonderland! Santa-san was hoping you would come, he knows you've been very good!"

The child's mother laughed curtly, but held her tongue as they walked towards Jounouchi. The girl clung tightly to her mother.

"Ho ho ho!" said Jounouchi, his hands on his thighs, elbows bent. "Welcome, young - er-"

"Hana," supplied Hana's mother. Yugi made a mental note to get the kids' names first in future.

"Hana, yes." Jounouchi waved an arm in what he hoped was a majestic yet benevolent fashion. "Would you like to sit next to me, Hana?"

Hana shook her head and tried to hide behind her mother's leg.

"That's okay, you can stay right there with your mom. Ho ho ho!" he added as an afterthought, wishing there was a script. "And what are you hoping to get for Christmas, Hana?"

The girl said something, but it was lost between her quiet voice and the finger in her mouth.

"I'm sorry, young Hana, Santa-san is an old man, and deaf with it. Could you speak a little louder?"

"Duel disk," whispered Hana again.

"A duel disk?" Yugi looked at Hana's mother frantically shaking her head.

"Ho ho ho, young Hana, do you know how to duel?"

Hana nodded her head enthusiastically, and peeked out from behind her mother.

"She's just started to learn," said Hana's mother, with the desperation of one just starting to realise how much little pieces of shiny card were about to take over her home.

"Ho ho ho, back when I was young, a duel disk was a very special prize indeed," said Jounouchi. Hana did not know enough to put two and two together about Jounouchi's age, but the cogs in her mother's mind were clearly whirring. "I don't think I have one here, but I'll work on it for next Christmas."

Yugi looked through the sack for a suitable present. They were wrapped, of course, but he prided himself on his memory skills and soon found a pocket-sized game that the girl might appreciate. He whispered to Jounouchi as he handed him the gift. "I could always ask Grandpa to bring one. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"I think Hana's mom might," whispered back Jounouchi. "She is a bit young for it, too."

Yugi stepped back to take a picture of Hana tentatively taking the gift from 'Santa-san' as he wished her a very Merry Christmas. Her mother did seem to be breathing a sigh of relief.

An hour passed quickly, then another. Many of the requests were for Duel Monsters-related items, despite the department store not stocking the line, and Yugi's present-matching skills were sorely tested as the sack's supplies ran low. After Yugi ushered the final child out of the grotto, he turned to Jounouchi with a bright smile. "We should have just taken them all to Grandpa's shop."

"He'd have made a better Santa-san too," agreed Jounouchi.

"I thought you did really well." Yugi padded back over in his curled felt boots.

"Ho ho ho, and a very merry Christmas to you, young Yugi!" said Jounouchi in his affected deep voice.

"Can I sit on your lap, Santa-san?" asked Yugi, wide-eyed and innocent.

"Ask your mother first," said Jounouchi, but Yugi ignored him to perch on Jounouchi's knee. "And what would you like for Christmas?"

Yugi put his arms loosely around Jounouchi's neck and smiled softly at him. "Can you make my wish come true?"

"Oh, look at that," Jounouchi pulled a sprig of greenery with small white berries out of Yugi's embellished hair. "Mistletoe. How did that get there?"

Yugi leaned forward, lips parted slightly. Jounouchi shrugged and dove in - beard first. They both collapsed into laughter as Yugi tugged the fluffy white mass off Jounouchi's chin. Their second attempt at a kiss was interrupted by the sound of the manager's heels click-clacking up to the grotto. Yugi leapt off Jounouchi's knee.

"We're all done, I think," said Yugi as she pushed the curtain aside.

"I don't know how to thank you both," said the manager. "Please pick something from the store - a wallet for yourself, or perfume to gift to a girlfriend, maybe?"

"Boyfriend," said Jounouchi under his breath - too quietly to be heard by the manager, but he soon felt Yugi's fingers curl into his own behind his back.

**Author's Note:**

> I've used "Santa-San" as this is how he's known in Japan. That's my one nod to realism - this is yugioh, of course you can just rock up to a store and replace their paid contractor!
> 
> The title is from the song by Super Junior.
> 
> As this is a giftfic, no criticism is sought at this time.


End file.
